Kate Cumming: A Journal of Hospital Life in the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

October 15. [Chattanooga] —The day has cleared off beautifully. Good news continues to come in from Kentucky. I have just received a note from a Kentuckian, with a vest, requesting me to enlarge it, as the hope of soon seeing his wife and children, whom he has been separated from for some time, has so inflated him that it needs altering.

J. Tew, a member of the Thirty-second Alabama Regiment, died to-day; is from Red Creek, Ala.; was a married man.

The colonel of that regiment (McKinstry) is from Mobile. He has visited his men in the hospital, and seemed much interested in them. He was post commandant of this place.

Two of our men died to-day: Robert Arnold, member of the Tenth South Carolina Regiment, and Mr. Schoff, member of the Sixteenth Louisiana Regiment.

We are in despair for diet for the men, as our money is all gone. I have written to our friends in Mobile to send us some. If they do not, I do not know what we will do, as we have nothing but beef, bread, and coffee; many of the men can not taste either of these things. I believe that many a man dies for want of proper nourishment. When they have money themselves, they give it to us to buy things with; but money is an article of which they have very little at this time. I hope there will be a change for the better soon, and that we will be able to get plenty of money, as Dr. Stout (who is said to be an excellent manager) is now medical director of the hospital department, from Atlanta to this post.

Sunday, October 12. [Chattanooga] —We have good news from Kentucky. A battle was fought on the 8th inst. at Perryville, and we won. I can scarcely rejoice, for I know we have lost many valuable lives.

I do hope some one prayed for me today, as I have been too cross to do so myself; have had one of the most trying days of my life. I wonder if Miss Nightingale had any of the hardships to endure that we have.

I have another kitchen, and the chimney of it smokes as badly as the others. I spent the whole day in it; did not even visit my patients. To add to all, it has poured down rain all day, and the wood was so wet that it was almost impossible to make it burn. I thought of home and home comforts not a few times.

We have men for cooks; but, as they are taken from the convalescent patients, they are scarcely fitted for the work. I have had some two or three, but as soon as they are initiated into the mysteries of the culinary art they take sick; so we have a good deal of it to do ourselves.

Dr. H. is doing all he can to help us, but he has but little power to do so, as servants are not to be had; and, although he is a disciple of Esculapius, can not cure smoky chimneys.

October 8. [Chattanooga] —The weather still continues warm.

More bad news. On the 20th ult. General Price had a battle in Iuka, Miss., and was defeated. It is said his men fought valiantly, but were overpowered by numbers.

On the 3d and 4th inst., another was fought at Corinth—said to be the most desperate of the war. General Van Dorn was in command. After a severe struggle for the place, and the loss of many men, we had to retire, as the place was so strongly fortified. I know what General Price’s men will say; that, had he been in command,

..

“Another sight had seen that morn—

From Fate’s dark book a leaf been torn.”

..

Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, no doubt, will be the losers in this sad affair, as those states were well represented in that army. I do sincerely hope that the wounded from it are well cared for. Mississippi is destined to be sacred ground, bathed with the blood of martyrs.

It is raining very hard. We still have our trials. Lately I have had a little kitchen to myself; and as every chimney seems to have been planned by the same architect, mine has the failing of others— is smoky.

Mrs. May is sick; and it is not much to be wondered at, as she has been so sorely tried in many ways. She is going home. I regret her leaving, as she has been so faithful to the sick. Mrs. W. is also complaining.

While in the midst of my troubles this morning, I received a letter from one of my Corinth patients, who had been badly wounded there, thanking me for what little attention I had paid him. He seemed so grateful that I felt I could bear more trials than I have to receive such gratitude in return. He is an officer in a Tennessee regiment, and is very hopeful about our cause; thinks that Buell is “whipped.”

October 6.—My patients are all doing well; but I feel much depressed on account of news that has just reached us from Kentucky. Buell has outwitted Bragg, and got to Louisville before him. Many are fearful that the latter will come out badly.

Sunday, October 5.—A very warm day. I spent it in reading and talking to the patients. One died, named James Murray, member of the Thirty-second Alabama Regiment . We have a number of that regiment in the hospital—it either is or was stationed here.

October 4.—Last night one of the returned prisoners died, very suddenly, of congestive chills. His name was Thomas Goff, member of the First Border Rangers of Virginia; he has left a wife and four children to mourn their loss. His brother was with him, and has taken his death very hard. Dr. Hopping, who attended him, was very kind. He did not leave him from the time he was taken sick until he died.

October 2.—We are very busy, trying to get clothes made for the exchanged prisoners. They are in a dreadful state for want of them; many of them have not changed their clothes for more than a mouth. Some of the ladies of the place promised to help us, but we have as yet seen nothing of them; they do not assist us in any way. This is not a wealthy place, and our army has been here for some time, which has impoverished it still more.

The prisoners complain bitterly of their treatment while in Jackson, Miss. Some of them told me that if they had been convicts they could not have been worse treated. This is something I can not understand. Who could forget Fort Donelson, and the hardships our poor men endured there! Every time I think of it a cold shudder runs through me; and then, to think what these poor fellows have endured since, during nearly one long year, in a cold northern prison! I hope that the patriotic state of Mississippi “has not tired of well-doing.”

October 1.—One of Mrs. May’s patients died a few days ago. His name was Huntley; was a lieutenant in the Twenty-seventh Mississippi Regiment. He was sick for some time, and died perfectly resigned, in the full hope of a blessed resurrection. He spoke a good deal about his family, and would like to have seen them before his departure from this world. Mrs. W. conversed and prayed with him, and was much gratified at the frame of mind in which he died. His father came to see him, but too late, as he was dead and buried. A few days before his death he told me that my friend, Lieutenant Booth, a member of the same regiment, was here sick. Dr. Hunter has sent a messenger around to all the hospitals in search of him, but he is not to be found.

In a letter received a few days ago from home, was a notice of the death of Charles Farrow, a member of the Twenty-first Alabama Regiment, the same who was taken prisoner at Shiloh. He was confined at Camp Douglas; was taken sick while on the transport, coming down; and, having no attention paid him, sank under his disease, and died on the 21st or 22d of September. Poor fellow! It seems but yesterday since I saw him, a boy. He was one of my brother’s school-mates. They are dropping off, one by one. I little know what at this moment may be my brother’s fate.

The relatives of C. F. had the consolation of closing his eyes and ministering to his last wants, as he reached his home a few hours ere he breathed his last. He was a member of the Episcopal Church, and, I believe, a sincere and devout Christian. I feel for his poor mother and sisters who mourn for him. —’He is not dead, but sleepeth."

       "Weep not for him! There is no cause of woe;

            But rather nerve the spirit, that it walk,

      Unshrinking, o’er the thorny path below,

            And from earth’s low defilement keep thee back.

      So, when a few fleet-swerving years have flown,

      He’ll meet thee at heaven’s gate, and lead thee on.

                  Weep not for him!"

September 30.—Orders have come to send off all the men who can be moved, as we are expecting a large number from General Breckinridge’s command.

We had a visit this evening from a Kentuckian; his hopes are high about soon getting to his home, as the good news is confirmed about the success of Bragg’s army in Kentucky.

This evening a great many patients came in. They are the returned prisoners of Fort Donelson.

We are very nicely fixed now. A Kentucky friend made us a present of a carpet, with the proviso that we would keep it for our own comfort; also some nice articles of bedding. Mrs. Bryant, the owner of the house we are in, is living in it; the family is a very pleasant one. They have had their sorrows, in the loss of a little child, since we have been here. We buy our milk from Mrs. B. Their being here makes it pleasanter for us than it otherwise would be.